William B. Kessler Memorial Hospital in Hammonton had the lowest overall score in the state for surgical care while AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's City and Mainland campuses both placed in the top 10 percent on three of four criteria among New Jersey hospitals, according to a report released Wednesday.
The state's Department of Health and Senior Services, or DHSS, issued its fifth annual Hospital Performance Report, which evaluated state hospitals on treatments for heart attack, pneumonia, heart failure and surgical care (preventing side effects of surgery, such as infections) based on nationally accepted practices.
The scores correspond to patients receiving the correct treatments. For example, a score of 85 means that of the patients receiving treatment for a particular condition, 85 percent of those patients received the correct course of treatment.
The state's goal is to have as close to 100 percent compliance in all areas as possible.
Kessler's overall score for surgical care was 56. The state median score was 90.
Infections acquired during surgical care account for 40 percent of all infections acquired while in a hospital, according to the DHSS. Blood clots are also quite common during surgery, affecting 250,000 patients and resulting in approximately 50,000 deaths annually.
The score for Kessler was brought down significantly because only 8 percent of patients had their preventative antibiotic stopped within 24 hours, or 48 hours for certain types of cardiac surgery.
Kessler did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
According to the report, keeping patients on these antibiotics for more than 24 hours is unnecessary and can increase the risk of side effects such as stomach aches, diarrhea and serious types of antibiotic resistance.
For hospitals that score low in certain categories, the DHSS intervenes to get them up to the national standards.
"We are constantly working with hospitals," said Heather Howard, commissioner for the DHSS, at a news conference Wednesday. "When we know there's a problem, we work with them, we reach out to them."
The commissioner said she was actually quite pleased with the overall results of the performance report. Hospital ratings have consistently improved since the reports were first issued. New Jersey hospitals fared better than the national average in 17 of 23 categories, and the state ranks second behind Michigan in overall quality care.
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's city campus placed in the top 10 percent with its scores on treating patients for heart attack, pneumonia and heart failure, and the Mainland campus was in the top 10 percent for pneumonia, heart failure and surgical care.
"Everyday, all the caregivers are focusing on giving the highest quality care we can provide," said Joan Brennan, vice president of quality and performance excellence for AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.
Brennan said that a lot of ongoing education with doctors, nurses and other caregivers is needed to keep the staff aware of national standards, especially if there are important changes.
While this report focused on four major treatments, it expanded on the criteria. For example, blood-clot prevention information was a new component in evaluating surgical care. But Brennan said that patients should look beyond these numbers to find the best care possible, especially for treatments such as trauma that are not included in this report.
"We have always believed in the philosophy of continuous quality improvement and transparency," said Albert L. Gutierrez, Shore Memorial president & CEO in a statement. "No single score tells the whole story. This data has to be integrated into a larger picture which includes clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction."
Cape Regional Medical Center in Cape May Court House scored in the state's top 10 percent for heart attack treatment.
Other area hospitals evaluated included South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Cumberland County and Southern Ocean County Hospital in Ocean County. Other than Kessler, no hospital scored lower than 84 percent in any one rating.
"Every employee, physician and volunteer understands that he or she has a part in providing excellent care to our patients," said Sharon Grusemeyer, Director of Performance Improvement and Patient Safety for South Jersey Healthcare.
OK jim , How do you fix this problem. You put this stuff on your blog all the time but you never offer any solutions. Then come november you wonder why you loose. Kessler needs hammontons help. The people of hammonton need Kessler. I guess next you will post about St joe's lights.
Why did so many planning board members miss the meeting regarding St. Joe lights? I guess when their is a tough vote, it is better to make up a reason to miss the meeting. Thank you to the board members who were brave enough to attend the meeting and vote to the best of their ablility.
Voting "present" or making up an excuse to miss the meeting shows a real weakness in the current board members. The council should put members on the board that will face a tough vote and do the job not run and hide.
The Mayor picks who is on the board not the council . I don't know why St. Joe can't have lights . How could it be unsafe with ten cops at the game. Just a thought for the bright people who shot down the lights for St. Joe. 1: Hammonton high filed is not properly lighted. Cars park all over the place on the grass on the sides of the road etc. ( but that's OK) and by the way tax dollars paid for that joke of a field. 2: The hawks parking at the lake if you had a emergency at one of the hawks game it would be a total diaster. What with all the parents drinking and partying. The the fact that the cars park wherever they want and all over st . martins lot. Try to get a emergency car down park or chesnut during a game. When the hawks moved to the new filed , did they go to planning board. 3: The carnivel. Anywhere within a four block area around the carnivel is blocked now way to get a emergency car in their. let alone if one of the house near by caught fire. 4: the red white and blue festivel. The parking and traffic is a total joke. people walking right along side the moving cars. wow . 5: the july fourth fire works. 6: the parades in town. 7: Cinco de mayo and other events at the mexican place. 8: etc, etc, etc, That fact is St joe wanted to play up to six games a year at night. they had plenty of volunteers and extra cops on hand. but the a holes in this town could not have that. So i wonder does the chief of police care about the parking at these other venues. Take a ride by one of them and then ask ourselves why not St. Joe.
All very valid points and it was six lousy games. You want additional people and business in this town and when someone tries to make an improvement that could lead to an after game dinner or whatever around town or someone loving the town and wanting to move here you shoot it down. Give the kids a break you broke their hearts. It was six lousy games. I'm ashamed of the boards vote and the residents that opposed it. Shame on you.
At least the Republican President Frank DiMatteo, who is still on the planning board, was brave enough to show up and vote for St. Joe's.
The mayor once again stunk up another oversight board. How come he appointed his own brother, the biggest developer in town, onto the board that oversees all development?
OK jim , How do you fix this problem. You put this stuff on your blog all the time but you never offer any solutions. Then come november you wonder why you loose. Kessler needs hammontons help. The people of hammonton need Kessler. I guess next you will post about St joe's lights.
Why are criticizing Jim for posting news? The people of Hammonton need Kessler absolutely. How can problems be solved if they aren't addressed? That's what this forum is about. You'll hear people with good points and those without. Let's open up the discussion and not just tell people to put a sign on their lawns. Let's open up the discussion of the issue of charity care and how that hurts the hospital. Let's open up the discussion on better ways to improve quality, safety and patient satisfaction in Kessler and ALL hospitals in South Jersey. America's healthcare system is broken and needs fixing. Maybe this report is not fair and accurate of Kessler. Effort should be focused on developing new measures that are more tightly linked to the clinical outcomes patients care about.
I for one don't like to go to hospitals but I'm glad there's on here in Hammonton. I have family who work at Kessler and want better healthcare at Kessler just like I have friends who work in the schools and want kids to get a better education.
It's all about making things better and not just simply being satisfied and saying, "It's All Good!" when it's not at all.
Why did so many planning board members miss the meeting regarding St. Joe lights? I guess when their is a tough vote, it is better to make up a reason to miss the meeting. Thank you to the board members who were brave enough to attend the meeting and vote to the best of their ablility.
Voting "present" or making up an excuse to miss the meeting shows a real weakness in the current board members. The council should put members on the board that will face a tough vote and do the job not run and hide.
Joe Giralo is planning board president. He is a complete waste. Everything he touches, he tries to grab. He voted for a big raise for his own wife and a $600,000 no bid contract also. Now Giralo and Jimmy Bertino want to attack Jerry Vitalo. They boith have to go!
OK jim , How do you fix this problem. You put this stuff on your blog all the time but you never offer any solutions. Then come november you wonder why you loose. Kessler needs hammontons help. The people of hammonton need Kessler. I guess next you will post about St joe's lights.
Jim MacLane's boss is on the AtlanticCare board. I wonder if that has anything to do with why he is attacking the hospital.
If anybody can get Atlanticare to come to Hammonton and open a western Atlantic County Hospital. I will vote for them. We need a hospital that is well run and can help our community.
Where do you see an attack from me???? I did not even comment on the story. The story was put up here because it has interest for the people of Hammonton and this forum gives them an opportunity to openly discuss their feelings and ideas. As I have said many times before, Kessler is a vital part of our community and I support it. However, reports such as this do create cause for concern.
People just don't get. If we don't talk about Kessler and how we can save it, then it will just go away. In today's economic times and our broken healthcare system, Kessler had little chance. President Bush has pushed for Regional hospitals. Many NJ hospitals closed. The ones that closed were not affiliated with any large university or had little room for growth. Common sense says that in order for Kessler to be viable it has to tie itself with a college, expand, or quite simply tie in with another hospital group.
Imagine how much worse it would have been if Kessler became a municipal hospital like Hammonton First wanted. I truly hope things turn around. I've done my part by getting an xray there last year. Now with all these clinics opening up and radiology centers, things are going to get tough with more competition. Hang in there Kessler employees. Hopefully there's better days ahead once whoever wins the Presidency tries to fix our current healthcare system. Anything's gotta be better than Bush's plan to continue pushing for Regional hospitals.
On Wednesday night, career politician Joe Girolo turned his back one last time on Hammonton. When St. Joe went in front of the planning board for final approval of their lights at their football field, crony Girolo recused himself. It left enough Hammonton Firsters to vote down the lights and cost St. Joe's 50,000 dollars in development costs, and a field with no lights.
How many more times will Hammonton allow political hack Joe Girolo to use his appointed positions to benefit his family and friends, and ruin lives of others?
THE EVIDENCE: -As the School Board President, Joe Girolo didn't feel the need to recuse himself when he voted in pay raises for his wife who teaches at Hammonton High School -He didn't recuse himself when he voted on project after project for DiDonato builders in Hammonton. -He DID recuse himself when it came to voting in lights for St. Joe!
-Girolo was able to get himself appointed President of the Planning Board even though he's a (was a) Republican and Hammonton First controls the Board. -He supported HF crony Steve DiDonato in his run for school board. -He sits with HF crony Steve DiDoanto on the Planning Board(the mayor, Steve's brother, appointed Steve to the board!) -When it came time to put up lawn signs, turncoat Girolo taped out the last name on the ticket, Jerry Vitalo. -Does Girolo have a deal with Hammonton First to sandbag Jerry Vitalo so he can continue to get appointed to boards and throw votes to whatever HF wants?
CONCLUSION: Girolo can vote himself and wife raises but allowed St. Joe to blow 50,000 dollars in expenses to get lights at their football field. Does he have a deal with Hammonton First to try to destroy the Republican campaign so his buddy Sam Rodio can get elected?
HAMMONTON: ITS TIME TO TAPE OUT GIROLO'S NAME. LETS LET THIS DOUBLE DEALING CROOK DWINDLE DOWN TO INSIGNIFICANCE. LETS MAKE SURE HE NEVER GETS ELECTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AGAIN. THERE ARE ENOUGH ST. JOE FAMILIES IN HAMMONTON TO ENSURE THIS DOUBLE-DEALER NEVER GETS ANY POWER IN HAMMONTON AGAIN.
Hey I like Joe. He should have voted on the light project but he does a good job.
Which one of the 12 steps is the part where you attack your husbands policical enemies.... Poor Jerry... boo hoo... I cant wait to see him in a debate. This is going to be a blood bath....
Hey I like Joe. He should have voted on the light project but he does a good job.
Which one of the 12 steps is the part where you attack your husbands policical enemies.... Poor Jerry... boo hoo... I cant wait to see him in a debate. This is going to be a blood bath....
To bad Jimmy Bertino wasn't bright enough to fill out his election paperwork correctly. He'd have also been fun to watch with MacLane cutting him to shreds. Can you imagine someone being that dumb they can't fill out their name, address, and phone number? It isn't that hard. Bertino has been living in his mother's house his whole life. GO DEMS!
